Biomedical subjects

R Watanabe

Publications and source records attributed to R Watanabe.

347 records · Page 20Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of complement regulatory protein expression on pig endothelial cells to porcine endogenous retrovirus lyses by human sera.

INTRODUCTION: Expression of human complement regulatory proteins (CRP) on pig endothelial cells (PEC) has been useful to avoid hyperacute rejection by human sera. On the other hand, porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) from PEC transfectants with CRP may acquire resistance to human sera. In this study, we investigated the effects of the transfected CRP on PERV neutralization and/or lysis by human sera. METHODS: cDNA of membrane cofactor protein (MCP: CD46), decay accelerating factor (DAF: CD55), and CD59 were transfected to PEC lines by lipofection. The expressions of these CRPs were verified by FACS analysis. The PEC lines with human CRPs were then transfected with the LacZ gene and PERV subtype B (PERV-B) to investigate PERV infectivity by LacZ pseudotype assay. Culture supernates of PEC were inoculated to HEK293 cells with or without 10% human sera. The inoculated 293 cells were then histochemically stained to count the LacZ-positive blue foci and calculated the rate of reduction of LacZ-positive cells by serum. RESULTS: PERV from the PEC with DAF or CD59 showed a resistance to human sera compared with those of control PEC (DAF: 59.6% +/- 5.3%, CD59: 61.1% +/- 3.9% vs control: 31.3% +/- 3.6%; P < .01). However, PEC with MCP did not cause such an effect (28.8% +/- 2.5%). CONCLUSIONS: While expression of DAF and CD59 on PEC changed its PERV responsiveness to human sera, MCP did not improve it.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Adoptive transfer of EAE-like lesions from rats with coronavirus-induced demyelinating encephalomyelitis.

Viruses have been found to induce inflammatory demyelinating lesions in central nervous system (CNS) tissue of both animal and man, either by natural infections or after vaccination. At least two different pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed for these changes, a cytopathic viral infection of oligodendroglia cells with subsequent cell death, and a host immune reaction against virus and brain antigens. We now report the occurrence of cell-mediated immune reactions against basic myelin proteins in the course of coronavirus infections in Lewis rats. Infection of rats with the murine coronavirus JHM leads to demyelinating encephalomyelitis developing several weeks to months postinfection. Lymphocytes from these diseased Lewis rats can be restimulated with basic myelin protein (BMP) and adoptive transfer of these cells leads to lesions resembling those of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in recipients, which can be accompanied by a mild clinical disease. This model demonstrates that a virus infection in CNS tissue is capable of initiating an autoimmune response which may be of pathogenic importance.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The intrinsic vasculature of the lumbosacral spinal nerve roots.

The observations made in this study strongly support the concept that spinal nerve roots in general and the human lumbosacral spinal nerve roots in particular are structurally, vascularly, and metabolically unique regions of the nervous system. Peculiarities of their intrinsic vasculature and supporting connective tissue may account for suspected "neuroischemic" responses to pathologic mechanical stresses and inflammatory conditions associated with degenerative disease of the lower spine. It is hoped that the newly described features of the radicular vasa nervorum (to avoid confusion with the dissimilar blood supply of peripheral nerves, the term "vasa radiculorum" might be more accurate) may advance the understanding of certain aspects of lower spine symptomatology and provide some basis for much needed future research.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Efficiency of neural differentiation of mouse P19 embryonal carcinoma cells is dependent on the seeding density.

Serum-free culture conditions for retinoic acid-induced neural differentiation of mouse P19 embryonal carcinoma cells were determined for future ex vivo retroviral gene transfer and brain transplantation studies. Neural differentiation of P19 cells was dependent on the seeding densities, and both neurons and astroglia differentiated efficiently at high seeding densities (2 x 10(4) and 5 x 10(4) cells/cm2) but not at low seeding density (1 x 10(4) cells/cm2). In addition, P19 cells cultured at 5 x 10(4) cells/cm2 showed neural differentiated whether or not they were infected with Friend leukemia virus FrC6-V, which inhibited neural differentiation at 2 x 10(4) cells/cm2. These results indicate that FrC6-V-infected P19 embryonal carcinoma cells should be seeded at high density to achieve efficient neural differentiation in vitro for ex vivo gene transfer with a FrC6-V-derived retroviral vector system.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Extensive application of epidural anesthesia and analgesia in a university hospital: incidence of complications related to technique.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The authors report the role of epidural anesthesia and analgesia (EAA) and the incidence of epidural puncture-related complications in a university hospital in Japan. METHODS: Epidural anesthesia and analgesia was the major (39.7%) technique when administering 40,010 anesthetics. For the upper and the lower abdominal procedures, EAA was the major anesthetic technique in 79.5%, and 71.1% of these were carried out without potent inhaled anesthetics or long-acting muscle relaxants, and without endotracheal intubation. RESULTS: Epidural anesthesia and analgesia-related complications included failure to produce anesthesia on the first attempt (4.1%), bleeding/intravascular cannulation (0.67%), unintentional dural puncture (0.61%), paresthesia (0.16%), and local anesthetic toxicity (0.12%). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of EAA-related complications was greater with lumbar than with thoracic puncture. Four patients had transient neuropathy related to epidural puncture, but no serious neurologic complications occurred.

Analgesia, Epidural↗